Media Advocacy Toolkit
Media campaigns, combined with interventions, are an important high-impact strategy. Use this toolkit when you're trying to obtain earned media (coverage from newspapers, radio, TV stations and websites) and leverage paid media (advertising campaigns and other messaging efforts funded by the state's Tobacco Prevention and Control Program).
Earned media is an essential component of
Wisconsin's tobacco prevention and control efforts.
- Spencer Straub, Tobacco Prevention and
Control Program
Key Messages
When talking to reporters, it's important to stress the main points you want them to remember. That's why the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program releases talking points on many of the issues you might discuss with the media.
Take a look at the Program's current key messages about tobacco control as a whole.
Press Releases
Press releases are another way to frame your issue for the media and show them which points you feel should be stressed. To find the Program's latest press releases, type "press release" into the search box when using this website. Many of these releases are Swiss-cheese style meaning there are "holes" you can fill with details from your community or coalition.
Sometimes you will want to create your own releases. Make them as impactful as possible with these resources:
Letters to the Editor and Op-Eds
Letters to the editor (LTEs) and op-eds are great tools to use because you control how your issue is presented. Plus, people like to read them: The only part of the newspaper that has more readers is the front page. Learn how to make them pop with these resources:
Use these templates as guides to help you create your own letters about specific tobacco-control issues:
- LTE Template: Health Care Costs
- LTE Template: General Funding Message
- LTE Template: Success Story
- See all LTE templates
Editorial Board Visits
An editorial board meeting is an informal discussion with a newspaper's opinion page editor or editorial board. These visits are most effective when they take place face-to-face, but they can be done over the phone if schedules are tight. Here are some tips for making a strong impression:
For More Information
For more information about media advocacy or for help with talking points, press releases, LTEs and editorial board visits, contact Spencer Straub at the Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention and Control Program.
